


Mortal Kings are Ruling Castles

by Deeambles



Category: Naruto
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Canon-Typical Violence, Dragons, Dubious Science, Gen, Time Travel Fix-It, background team tobirama, grave robbing, how is this a fix it, the answer may or may not take several chapters anda lot of bs to get too, you may be wondering
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-07 09:48:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19206913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deeambles/pseuds/Deeambles
Summary: "There are only two questions that human beings have ever fought over, all through history. How much do you love me? And Who's in Charge?"Danzo finally has everything where he wants it. No more competitors, no more threats, and not even the Hokage stands in his way anymore, when something sends him back to the founding era of Konoha. All his work for the village is gone in one fell swoop.This does nothing to discourage him from starting his work all over again. He can't go into Konoha with his younger self there, and no connection to his clan, but he can start other places.





	1. Liars settle into Sockets

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [use the dead wood to make the fire rise](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14489904) by [mirrorless](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirrorless/pseuds/mirrorless). 
  * Inspired by [Like Wishing on a Star](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17861096) by [DanyellaSkylerSilverfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanyellaSkylerSilverfire/pseuds/DanyellaSkylerSilverfire), [notbug (KageKashu)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KageKashu/pseuds/notbug). 



> I was reading mirrorless’ fics and i really enjoyed the characterization of danzo which inspired me to write my own! then I remembered Kage kashu wrote a time travel danzo and I absolutely had to jump on that train even if I took a slightly (largely) different take on it. 
> 
> anyway Hope you enjoy!!!! (summary quote is from Elizabeth Gilbert)

The cold wet ground is the first thing that registers after the painful flash of bright light that took over his office. 

A seal maybe, Danzo thinks groggily, a trap, more than definitely. 

He slowly unsticks the cool leaf litter from his face, minding his lower back and stiff right knee. Old age is bothersome, as the Nara would say, not that he’s let it stop him any. 

He finally had the Uchiha gone, Shisui’s eye just sitting waiting to replace Kagami’s. Both useful, but his former teammates had started to deteriorate after all these years, and he needed a new one. 

Bringing a hand up to his eye in remembrance has him pausing. He can clearly see his hand. His vision is not shallowed with a lack of depth perception by the bandages he wears over his face. It’s doesn’t even have the usual red tint from the sharingan. 

More pressingly, his hand is not covered in wrinkles. 

It has blemishes, and some callouses, and he can even clearly see the scar he once got training with Homura and his chakra scalpels. A scar that previously has become so faded and shadowed by his wrinkles he would have had to search for it. 

Danzo does not panic, but a quick search has him realizing that his knee is not stiff and his back does not carry the same hard cricks it had up until he ran into whatever it was hidden in his office. For whatever strange reason, he no longer has the Sharingan, but the pale white arm composed from Senju Hashirama’s DNA stares back at him, for all that the rest of him seems to have de-aged several decades. 

Black, shiny hair falls into his eyes. 

No sign of grey in sight. 

Slowly standing up and readjusting to his old weight and stance is quite like putting on an old coat. He’s wearing simple blacks, nothing like his long overcoat he was wearing before, but nonetheless very familiar. 

The familiar sight of fire countries trees— ones he’s standing under at the moment— are comforting as he figures out just where he might be. 

Questions of the rapid sort flash through his head. Questions like: Am I back in time now? Or did it simply put me in a younger body? Why did the prosthetic arm stay but the sharingan did not? Why is there assumingly a teleportation aspect if the goal was to make me younger? _Was_  that the goal? Or was the goal death and something just went horribly wrong? 

And most importantly, Where the hell is he? 

Danzo’s sensei was Senju Tobirama, a man who should have never had to walk to his death when Konoha needed him. A man who was very much known as the foremost inventor of seals. To say Danzo isn’t very aware of what to do when something goes Wrong would be an insult to Tobirama’s memory as a sensei. And this is something Tobirama would most assuredly classify as something Wrong. 

Now, Danzo isn’t a sensor by any means but he still grew up in fire countries forests and the first thing one must do when getting lost in the trees is go up. 

Testing the strength of his new-old body is simply a secondary pleasure 

Upon reaching the canopy it’s incredibly easy to see everything, and the face of the Hokage mountain in the distance is as grounding as it’s ever been. 

That is, until Danzo realizes that there are no faces present. 

A cold chill of foreboding wraps down his spine. 

Hoping up to an errant limb sticking up above the rest gives him the perfect angle to see where there should be streets of houses, the market place, and even the now empty compound of the Uchiha Clan. 

Instead he sees a few budding roof tops, and two cleared areas toward the base of the mountain. Spaces he knows became the Uchiha and Senju districts respectively. The Hokage tower coming to sit somewhere in between, the foremost pillar of the village. 

A tower completely built by Senju Hashirama. 

Danzo doesn’t let the sight unnerve him, instead going over what he’s starting to suspect with what he already knows. The aspect of time travel has always been an exciting prospect to most seal masters. It’s a goal, if anything, to be able to work with time and space seals. It’s a mark of an expert to start exploring it, and a mark of a master to create them. Creating them means understanding them, after all, and Senju Tobirama was never one to not fully understand something before going headfirst into it and he made sure his students understood the risks that went along with everything he did. 

Danzo knows exactly what this means, in terms of what his future holds, and lists them off in some replica of a breathing exercise. 

1\. He’s in a young body, although not as young as he really is in this world.   
2\. Clearly the seal, or whatever sent him back, was linked with time travel, and he is now un-reversibly in the past.   
3\. With no way to get back, and not being able to claim his family name without suspicion will mean that Danzo will have to act as a third party. 

The thoughts grate on his nerves. After all he had done in the name of Konoha, one wrong move has sent him completely out of control of everything. 

The things he had done, the things Hiruzen would not allow himself to see that were only ever in their favor. 

It started with Dan, the foolishly optimistic Hokage candidate that would have led them to be weak had he been allowed to live. It was during the second shinobi war that Danzo had saw his opening. It had been easy to send in a few of his operatives to stage an accident. Danzo wouldn’t have been forced to that extreme had the Daimyo not already favored the young shinobi, but at last, executing a Konoha shinobi in the name of Konoha is easier than executing the Daimyo. 

Next had been Nawaki. Danzo didn’t actually have anything to do with that, and it’s a shame it had to be the breaking point for Tsunade, but the boy had served his purpose as a shinobi well. Not only had his sensei been easier to bring over to Danzo’s side after his young student’s death, but it was a sample of Nawaki’s DNA that allowed Danzo access to Senju Hashirama grave. After all, they don’t simply bury high ranking ninja like they do the rest. No, Senju Tobirama in particular, made a nasty seal that could only be counteracted by blood of the family, should for some reason the grave site need to be moved. 

It worked well for Danzo’s true motive anyhow. Kinoe is—was a good asset to the village. 

And then there was Uzushio. Konoha’s first and foremost ally. Their strongest ally. And unforgivably their biggest threat. Uzushio had ties to Konoha through Uzumaki Mito, a founder no less than her Senju and Uchiha counterparts. And then the great nations were tied because of Uzumaki Kushina’s sacrifice. However, one little girl with no defined placement in her clan’s hierarchy, is not a good peace making tool. Kushina was a sacrifice first, then an Uzumaki, and the Nine tails container would always remain in Konoha. Unrest was bound to increase and the ultimate turn Uzushio would take against Konoha would not be one they could afford, regardless the outcome. 

In the light of that, it was easy, Danzo thinks, to give Kiri and Kumo the advantage going into the fight. An undead solider and a few root agents to join their ranks and in one fell swoop the island of Whirlpool returned to the sea. A shame that so much knowledge on fuinjutsu was lost, but Danzo made sure some of the important stuff made it back to Konoha, the true power of their shinobi world, unharmed. 

The downfall of Uzushio had waned hard on Hiruzen, and they had all made their speeches for the fallen shinobi that never made it out. Some years after its fall was when the Sandaime decided he wanted to step down again-- after what seemed like a crushing silence on the subject-- following Dan’s passing. 

Danzo had offered several times to take over for him, let him rest with his family and children, but no such luck, with his old teammate proving himself an even greater fool the older he gets, when he elected Hatake Sakumo, of all people, to take the hat next. 

Sakumo was a good shinobi. The people loved him, he was a decorated war hero, well respected in the ranks, and on the surface was a good choice for Hokage. That is not what he shames Hiruzen for. No, it’s not seeing the underneath, as Tobirama would say, that Danzo could not stand to see Konoha’s leadership fall under. Sakumo was married and expecting a child at some point at the time his name was entered as a candidate. The man was soft below his exterior. He only need to look at the pervious Hokage to see how that would go. Senju Hashirama, while the god of shinobi, he too had wife and kids and that softness he possessed in regards to them and Uchiha Madara, a friend turned enemy, is all what got him killed. Grief was his downfall, the first was simply the seal on his grave. Then there was the Hiruzen, who simply was too complaint among other troves of problems. 

Senju Tobirama was really the only one who worked solely for the village, with no distractions, and his death was truly a loss in every aspect. 

Danzo would not let the Yondaime become somebody soft, no matter hard their exterior. With a war just waiting to happen, Danzo saw his opportunity, no matter that it took some odd number of years to finally come to fruition 

His son, Kakashi, walking in on Sakumo, who chose death by seppuku (and really, did he need any more proof the man was soft inside?) was unfortunate, but pushed him to become greater. It gave Danzo good ideas for how to improve basic training in his root operatives as well. 

While a shame that Konoha lost a good shinobi, it was what needed to be done. 

Danzo has, and always will, do what’s best for the village. 

His most recent act was the downfall of Uchiha Clan. One that took years to carefully orchestrate. And now here he stands, looking out at Konoha that homes them once more. 

Danzo lets his feet carry him closer. He remembers Tobirama once telling the 5 of them that there used to be spy’s who would sneak around the village all the time just to see it. The head admin at the time let them as a show of strength and possibly showing off. 

If Danzo’s lucky, and doesn’t get too close to anyone, he might just be able to get away with the same thing. 

As he approaches, he realizes that Konoha isn’t has small as he had assumed before. The village, while yes is in its infancy, simply holds the title of Village hidden in the leaves more accurately. Below the canopies, the market is in place, and there are more clans present than just the Senju and Uchiha. Danzo had forgotten that the Hokage position actually took longer to become a thing than everyone assumes. 

His branch that’s he claimed to watch the small hustle below gives him a good vantage point over the eastern side of the village. An Inuzuka narrows her eyes at his tree, nose twitching in the air, before rolling her eyes and walking confidently towards the Hokage tower, ninken doing the equivalent of laughing, trotting at her ankles. 

So maybe he’s not hidden as he’d like, he thinks rolling his eyes, but this is his village, and even if he’s going to have to find another way in, he still wants to see it. 

He must be nostalgic in his old age. 

Just before Danzo turns around to leave and re-plan his life and choices elsewhere, a boisterous laugh and a flash of white catch his attention. 

Senju Tobirama walks a stride or two behind his brother, with the original team Tobirama and Hashirama, Koharu, Hiruzen, and Homura at his heels. Kagami is there too, although his distance speaks that he hasn’t been added to that trio yet. This is clearly before himself and Torifu were added and the first Hokage became to swamped with duties to continue training them— leaving the training solely to Tobirama. Speaking of, Senju Hashirama himself has his arm thrown around—- 

His arm is—-

Danzo’s mind goes uncharacteristically blank because, well, that’s Uchiha Madara. 

He’d remembered Madara, vaguely, from childhood but seeing him here, clearly wearing a Konoha headband, peeling the soon to be first Hokage off like a particularly determined leech gives him pause. This isn’t the missing nin, gone traitor. Right now, it’s simply the head of the Uchiha Clan and cofounder of Konoha. 

Something to consider, Danzo thinks interested. Nobody actually had concrete reasons to why this man imploded the way he did and Danzo has his doubts (large ones) that the supposed “Madara” from the future he met when messing around with Hanzō and the akatsuki, was really the man at all. 

In the moment of Danzo’s stupor, he watches Madara snap his head around to Danzo’s location— and oh, he forgot the mans a sensor— only to have Tobirama shake his head minutely. A non-threat. 

Danzo internally sighs, it looks like they did let nosey spy’s do their business. He ignores the tingling of his prosthetic arm, that very well might be reacting to having the owner of the cells so close, and focuses his attention on that on that his sensei apparently wasn’t kidding. 

He really is related to Hashirama after all, Danzo thinks a little critically. 

He silently watches the little group until their out of sight, and then makes his way back out of the village boundaries. 

Danzo has some planning to do, and while the sight of his old sensei soothes something inside him, he will not let this village take the same track it did before. Danzo has the knowledge of the future and he knows exactly how he’s going to use it. 

____________________________

 

The future is dark despite the Clans of this generation best efforts to turn the world of shinobi toward a new light. It works to some extent, and yet at the same it doesn’t. 

Danzo knows he is responsible for some of that but he will stand by his word when saying everything he’s done, he’s done for Konoha 

Back in the past, younger, sharinganless eye or not, Danzo will always do what he thinks is best for the village. 

He doesn’t consider himself to be wrong in some of his actions. This time around, he will simply accelerate the timeline, a faster track to bringing true peace through control. Those who will not bend, will not live, and those who break will be remolded for the better. 

Uzushio, is the first on his list. The fiery redheads who inhabit whirlpool, amongst several other clans, would be the last to bend. One only needed to look at their descendants, one Uzumaki Kushina, to see that they’ll never see the proper path. Betraying Konoha cannot happen, and while Uzumaki Mito was a great seal master, the first Jinchūriki, she will do more good with her influence firmly, and solely in Konoha.

But first, Danzo needs allies. 

Which is how he finds himself sitting at a low stone table across from Byakuren, the first Mizukage. A man with long grey hair, a dead right eye, and a lazy left eye. Hoshigaki Kaito, the current Head of his clan, and probably some advisor of some sort. Then the man who would become the third Mizukage. He looks young, black hair down to his waist and small purple pearls wrapped around his head. Danzo can’t for the life of him remember the poor fools name. He must have been powerful, for all that he died old, although right now he’s simply Byakuren’s glorified bodyguard. 

Regardless, he sits straight backed as they consider the proposition before them. 

The country of water is currently undergoing its own little revolution. All the history books and reports had stated that while the large island formed its village not long after Konoha, it took much longer to truly unite the clans under one banner and build a functioning settlement. Danzo spent 10 minutes snooping and then being escorted to Mizukage, but he truly thinks that might have been an understatement. The place is a mess. Danzo’s probably doing them a favor by asking them to unite and destroy Uzushio. They also have significantly more people than they did when they attacked the other island the first time. Kumo will probably not even be necessary, since Kiri hasn’t suffered so much from the wars. 

Byakuren hums, bringing Danzo’s attention back to the table. 

“You seem very sure that us bringing down Uzushio will be in our best interests. Yet you do not even seem to acknowledge that they are an island of seal masters and they now have an alliance with Konoha. No matter that, they have done nothing quite horrendous enough to warrant the full annihilation of their people.” 

Danzo maintains his straight face, but he must admit, that was a reasonable counter argument coming from a man that runs a blood thirsty island mascaraing as a hidden village. 

“You would have heavier exports no? Fire country would still need to export fish and the such from some island, and it might as well be you. Besides, Uzushio is the current power of the sea, and they cut you off from the main lands in more ways than one.” 

“Why you—“ Byakuren starts, lazy eye squinting in rage. 

“It’s true” Danzo cuts him off harshly, “and with Uzushio gone you’d oversee the seas and your children after you.” 

Danzo pauses to make sure Byakuren and his companions really understand where he’s coming from. 

“You’re looking for a way to unite your people” he says, testing the water. Byakuren looks thoughtful, if still a little pissed but the Hoshigaki and the future third Mizukage are watching him like a particularly nasty fish caught on a line. 

They’re waiting to see if they should throw me overboard, Danzo thinks snidely, “there’s no better way to unite people than by fighting. When you fight for the same cause, you bleed together, and there is no stronger bond than by blood, whether it’s shared with or shed with.” 

Kaito eyes him before turning toward Byakuren. 

“You asked me here for logistical purposes. We have the man power to do it, should that be the option you take, Mizukage-sama.” 

“Your case is an interesting one, Danzo-san” the third cuts in with, “and you know how to make it seem compelling. It is true that Kirigakure is off to a rocky start, as many the villages are, however, while Uzushio’s downfall would benefit us, manpower alone would not beat them. They are, as Mizukage-sama said earlier, seal masters. There’s a formidable barrier around their island, and just getting to shore around the whirlpools themselves would prove difficult.” 

“I ask, how is it you plan on getting around that?”

With three sets of eyes on him, Danzo can’t help but let out a small grin

“With the help of an insider, of course.” 

_____________________________

 

It was a gamble, all things told. He doesn’t really have any insiders on the island, but assured the head administrators of Kiri that he had an agent, and that agent would infiltrate the island and pull down the wards long enough for Kiri to get by and breach the shores. As long as Danzo could remove the barrier, Byakuren said he would manage the whirlpools. 

Danzo was given a week, to prepare himself, the agent, and the removal of the wards. 

With his time, he made his way back to Fire country, avoiding the major towns as he made his way toward Konoha.

The idea came to him not long before he approached Byakuren with his proposal. The first time, he sent one undead and several root agents to aid Kiri and Kumo in the fall. Specifically, he sent Kagami to bring down the barrier. His use of Kotoamatsukami would turn the tide of any battle, and with the right control seal, it would make sure it got done. 

That being said, Danzo doesn’t have Kagami, but the nostalgia of seeing his old sensei again brought along some old memories. One from the beginnings of team Tobirama in its full glory. With that at the forefront of his mind it’s easy to get lost in the memory 

 

_“Straighten your shoulder Danzo, you’ll never hit anything hard unless you pull—-Saru! Don’t do you dare drop your hip!” Tobirama yells over the scuffle of practice._

_Their green and un-battle tested but Team Tobirama tries their best regardless to please their ever strict but forgiving sensei._

_Most of their beginning practices end up with them sprawled on the ground, and Tobirama absently checking the wrappings taped around his knuckles._

__In fact, Danzo reminisces, that was even the case after they were battle tested. __

_The afternoon in question was sunny and hot as all hell. Torifu and Hiruzen all but collapsed of heat stroke, while Tobirama conjured some water to refill everyone’s canteens. Kagami had been having a particular rough afternoon, distracted as he was, and was having difficulty with footwork. His frustration had almost reached a point of tears before Sensei pulled him aside._

_Danzo—who was running a canteen over to where Koharu quit walking and collapsed in the grass, then demanded that he carry her over to their other teammates under the shade of the trees— was close enough to hear the conversation, even if he wrote it off at the time because of Koharu’s whiny demands in his ear._

_“Kagami” Tobirama said softly, “you’re oftly distracted today.”_

_“Sorry sensei, it’s just— I just—- the footwork won’t work. Nothings working, sensei” Kagami mumbles out._

_“You’re much thinner than your teammates, Kagami, the katas I show you are going to be harder for you, but will help strengthen your core in the long run.”_

_Tobirama uncharacteristically paused then, as if considering if he should really say what he wanted._

_“ But I can show you something that might work._ Not _that you will replace the other katas—“_

_“really?” Kagami had but in with, “oh! Of course not, I’ll be diligent I promise!”_

_Tobirama conceded and showed Kagami._

_When they came back over Kagami inquired just where Tobirama sensei has learned them, as they were almost like those he learned from the Uchiha sensei’s._

_Danzo who had got fed up with Koharu and Hiruzen’s whining, left Torifu for the dogs as he got up with the excuse to bring Kagami some water where he plopped down a tree over._

_Tobirama looked grim, sad maybe, before answering truthfully._

_“They were footwork I observed off a shinobi I fought. They were my—- rival I suppose.”_

_“Rival? Like how Hashirama-sama and Madara-sama used to be? We’re they an Uchiha too?” Kagami inquired softly_

_“Yes, on both counts.” Tobirama responds in candor._

_Kagami sips at the water that Danzo hands over. Not one to intrude he walks a bit away under the shade, but can still softly make out Kagami’s question and Tobirama’s following answer._

_“If you don’t mind me asking sensei, who?”_

_To Danzo, it sounded like he already knew._

_“Uchiha Izuna”_

 

Shaking himself loose of the memory. Danzo quickly bounds through the trees toward the old Uchiha lands. He quickly conjures a clone and sends it off to find a stray bandit or unfortunately wondering shinobi before moving along again. 

Past the Nakano, he silently takes to the ground as the trees switch from large oaks to skinny pines. The old grounds should not be far, although he doesn’t necessarily need to go into the area, so much he just needs to locate the graveyard. 

He gives the actual walls of the compound a wide berth, in case they still have guards around the place while they finish any last transitions to Konoha, and keeps his eye out for any shrine. 

He knows better than to use the one in the Konoha has a reference but he imagines it might look something similar for purposes of familiarity. 

It takes Danzo two circles before he finds what he’s looking for. 

A sector hidden in the woods cut out for mourners and their lost loved ones. Landing silently in the graveyard has him cursing a bit, when he realizes that the plots are much too small to hold full body and caskets. The Uchiha clearly cremate, and Danzo can only hope there’s a fraction of bone marrow left that has Izuna’s DNA so he can bring him back to life. 

After all, anybody who could go toe to toe with Senju Tobirama was indeed somebody worth reviving for his purposes. 

A strong control seal will see to any problems, that might occur. 

A couple laps up and down the rows of fallen shinobi has him coming to a halt in front of a relatively new looking gravestone. It’s still shiny, and it’s black marble instead of white like many of the rest. There’s a bundle of fresh Lilly’s sitting atop— and Danzo suddenly realizes how lucky he is to have missed anybody here visiting. 

Especially since Uchiha Madara’s name also lays on a stone over, although it’s painted red to show he still lives, he is still someone Danzo does not have a chance to win against. Especially not while disrespecting the grave of who Danzo now recognizes is his little brother, and up until now, his heir. 

He silently looks around to make sure no other Uchiha come strolling by, before using his prosthetic hand to shove into the ground where any trap seals might lay. 

Surprisingly none— although in this time period grave robbing would be considered one of the highest offenses for a shinobi, so Danzo can understand the misstep. 

A small doton opens the ground for him as he extracts the cylindrical urn and slits the seal to open the ashes. 

He doesn’t even have to shake it before seeing a lock of hair sitting atop the ashes. It seems he won’t even to use some scattered bones that didn’t quite burn all the way, Danzo pleasantly notes. 

Picking the hair out with some tweezers from a stolen med kit, he quickly puts it away and closes the ground, returning the grave to its former glory as accurately as he can. 

Danzo stands and heads off towards where he sent his clone. One seal, one sacrifice, and one lock of hair, and he can return Uzushio to the sea more effectively than even the first time. 

He leaves the pine trees behind, with only the slowly wilting Lilly’s to mark his presence. 

_____________________________

 

On the coast of fire country, inside a small cave inside some of her steeper shorelines, Danzo watches as an unfamiliar Uchiha blinks away the presence of death in his eyes, no doubt confused at the poor lighting— and possibly his ability to see if Danzo remembers correctly— before locking eyes down where he himself sits in a crouch. 

“This— what is this? What have you done?” The Uchiha rasps glancing down at his cracked hands. 

Danzo on the other hand, cuts straight to the point. 

“Your name is Uchiha Izuna” Danzo says as flatly as he can. The way the shinobi’s eyes snap up to his says he might have made it seem more of a question that he intended. 

“You brought somebody back from the dead, and you don’t even know who they are?” Probably-Izuna says snidely. 

Ah, Danzo thinks, he’s smart and a smartalic. 

“I stole a lock of hair from your grave.” Danzo refutes as calmly as he can, “I used it to bring you back. I simply meant that as an empty pleasantry.” Danzo lies easily. 

“Sure you did.” Izuna says sarcastically, crossing his arms to peer down his nose at Danzo, “so Mr. graverobber, do I get a name? Maybe a reason of revival? Or is that all empty pleasantry you don’t see as necessary?” 

Danzo refrains from rolling eyes but concedes to the request if only because they have a little time to spare before smuggling Izuna on the island. The fake name he used when masquerading around in rain country slips off his tongue easily. 

“My name is Kanzo. I’ve heard you’re a skilled shinobi, and I need your experience and skill level to help bring a better world.” 

Izuna stares flatly at him. Completely unimpressed. Danzo supposes if you had a brother that supposedly wanted peace before Izuna’s death, that talks of a better world were probably child’s play. 

“A better world” Izuna repeats flatly. The unblinking corpse stares at him as if to say,  _are you a fucking dumbass?_

Danzo ignores the silent reprimand, he is not some unruly teenager after all and tries to give a somewhat better explanation. 

“The world has changed while you rested. Nations now have Shinobi Villages that are the new homes to every clan that chooses to join them. The Senju and Uchiha are the catalysts but the world has and will follow suit” 

“The Senju and Uchiha?” Izuna says hesitantly. 

“Your brother, Uchiha Madara, and Senju Hashirama joined forces to stop bloodshed and see peace between all of fire countries clans. They built Konohagakure, and it stands the strongest out of all the hidden villages.” 

Izuna says nothing in the wake of Danzo’s reiteration of what he knows to be Konoha’s history. He adds in some other fluttery words about peace and some veiled threats he hopes might stop any unnecessary questions. The thoughtful silence is only broken by the sound of the waves crashing the shore. 

“You say peace is inevitable, should they follow the right path” Izuna says slowly, watching Danzo like a hawk. “Yet you’ve revived me from the dead, clearly are going to ask me to do something that will further this yet— the fact that you’ve had to revive me from the dead at all speaks that this peace, is not really peace at all, if you couldn’t ask the help of someone living.” 

Danzo admires Izuna’s intelligence, most definitely a good opponent for somebody like Tobirama-sensei, but he’s starting to lose his patience for explaining their situation. 

“Peace is achieved, but what is now is temporary. With my knowledge and your assistance, we can start bringing those who would betray the very foundations of Konoha to justice. Your brother will one day become one of those same people when he succumbs to his grief and insanity. A shame, for a loss of a strong warrior but the world cannot wait for every person whether they be a seasoned veteran shinobi or a civilian babe in their crib. The world will see true peace but first we must establish our place in the world. Konoha can and will become great should she be given the chance. You, me, and with the help of the good people from the land of Water will see the start of this rise to true peace. You should be honored.” Danzo finishes sagely. 

Izuna sputters, “Honored?? What part of this insanity—- wait-- good people of where? Water? Their insane fish people last I checked They can barley stop their own infighting—- and hold on. What do you mean my brothers gone insane—“ 

“Will go insane” Danzo corrects. 

“Fine, will g—“ 

Izuna cuts himself off with a sharp click of his mouth shutting. 

“What do you mean, will go insane.” 

Danzo lets a small smirk grow on his face, “caught onto that, did you?” 

“You just revived me from the dead, what’s a man with a supposed prophecy in the face of that?” 

“Hmm” Danzo considers, “Prophecy?” 

“It’s a nice way of saying someone’s crazy, or from the future, or in your case both.” Izuna sneers. 

A worthy opponent indeed, Danzo thinks, but at alas they are running out of time. 

“My knowledge will aid Konoha greatly in the years to come, whether I’m there or not. Now, however, we have a mission” 

Izuna’s Mangekyo blazes as his fury at being ordered comes around. “Oh yeah? You can kiss my ass if you think I’m going to—“ 

“You will be quiet now” Danzo says sharply, activating the control seal to its full capacity. “We have a deadline to make.” 

The fury doesn’t dissipate in Izuna’s eyes as they step out of the cave, but Danzo doesn’t truly care at this point. 

They have a job to do, and he will damn well make sure they perform and succeed. The crashing waves are all that mark their departure as Izuna wields Kamui towards the shore of the islands of whirlpool, nary a whisper left behind.


	2. Flip the switch and watch them run

“Hashirama!” A voice booms 

Hashirama’s head snaps up from where he was filling out an agricultural zoning form at the firm request of both Tobirama and Madara. 

He will deny to his dying day that he didn’t instantly recognize that the voice belonged to his wife. Mito is more often than not, soft spoken, and gives the air of being very submissive. The true form of a “lady”. Hashirama knows better. Hashirama knows that the reason she’s quiet is because she’s holding back truly scathing commentary that would make even the hardiest of sailors gasp in shock. 

It must be something about growing up on an island. 

“Look at this” Mito snaps, all of a sudden right in front of him and his desk, slapping a missive down in front of him. 

Hashirama fears what Tobirama and Madara would do if he slacks off paperwork they both deem important, but if they have a problem with him delaying it for whatever is causing his wife to come barging in, they can bring it up with her. 

Picking up the missive and doing a quick scan has him nearly dropping the thing in shock. No wonder Mito is so incensed. 

Peaking up through his bangs, he watches Mito demurely  ~~sharpen~~  file her nails with a kunai. 

Hashirama clears his throat. Uzushio and Konoha are allies. Hashirama and Mito’s marriage was the physical symbol of it. According to the missive, Uzushio is under siege and requesting their help. 

And really, how insane is Kiri to attack a fortified island? Hashirama got married there since Mito was living here, and the place is a fortress made up of seals on seals on seals, and home to seal masters. The place isn’t attacked because the probability of even getting passed their wards is incredibly hard should you not be welcome. That’s not even accounting for the hidden rocks and changing whirlpools that make up the Islands natural defenses. 

However, Hashirama has no doubt Mito will storm out by herself regardless of the actual probability of the island’s defense barrier coming down, but then again, they probably wouldn’t have sent anything if they didn’t think they needed help. 

Calmly raising his head, he asks what any good husband would in this situation. 

“Who do you want to take with you?” 

Mito looks up from her nails, and locks eyes with him as if assessing the truthfulness of his statement. 

“As many as we can spare.” 

Hashirama nods, an acceptable request. This probably will even be a good bonding exercise for their shinobi. Nothing connects people more than killing other people together. I mean look at him and Tobirama, their as close as brothers can be even with their opposing personalities. And then there’s Madara, they’ve been trying to kill each other for years and now look where they are! Not a brother in blood but most definitely the closest you can be without it! 

Hashirama stands up and quickly walks to corner of the room where his armor sits on a stand and discards the robes for a more sturdy alternative. 

Half way between putting on his breast plate, Mito breaks the silence she had been holding since she made her request. 

“What are you doing.” 

“Putting on armor dear” 

“Why”

Hashirama pauses to look back at his wife, already dressed in armor he didn’t even realize she had, with her eyebrows pinched together in confusion. 

“You said you wanted everyone available, right? Well I’m available and most definitely coming with.” Hashirama states bluntly. There’s no way he’s not going to be there to help defend a siege. His brother will no doubt be the greatest asset to help on the water, and Mito wouldn’t be left behind even if she didn’t have legs. That’s at least two of Hashirama’s precious people going to fight. Like hell, he’s going to stay behind. 

A knock on the door interrupts the contemplative silence that lapped the office walls. When Hashirama finishes his last strap, he calls them in, and low and behold Tobirama stands on the other side fully dressed in blue armor and a silver face guard. Madara stands two feet behind him, dressed in a similar red armor to Hashirama, gunbai and Konoha headband both secured to his person. 

“Well?” Tobirama asks, breaking the stalemate, “are we going?” 

 

“We are not walking there, Hashirama” 

“I was going to suggest running, actually.” 

“Like hell, I want to get there in time to help, not after they’re done, Kuchiyose no jutsu!” 

“Holy shit Mito those are dragons, since when do you summon dragons?!” 

“Just get on please.” 

 

The plan is working, Danzo thinks smugly. Their outmost defense is down, Uzumaki Ashina is currently unconscious, and Kiri is reeking havoc on Uzushio’s shore. Byakuren kept to his part, even if he was suspicious of the masked shinobi Danzo brought along, and Konoha couldn’t get here fast enough even if they sprinted the entire way. 

Izuna, it seems, is most definitely a skilled shinobi if the way he cuts down people with his agile footwork’s is any indication. An ever-regenerating body helps too. 

Not only did Byakuren bring what seems the majority of Kiri with him, he also found some sell-swords to throw into the mix. How unfortunate for Uzushio. 

Up hidden in the high cliff side, Danzo makes his way around the corner for a better viewpoint to watch. High above everybody is the best vantage point, and from here, he can see Izuna and the Kiri soldiers fighting against Uzushio’s inhabitants. It’s a tough fight, fuinjutsu users are no joke, but they are the smaller force, and without time to prepare they are fighting without their islands defense or some of the more devastating seals. Seals which Danzo knows take time to prepare. 

He smiles as he watches the biggest threat to Konoha’s well-being slowly get returned to the sea. 

He’s so lost in it he doesn’t even notice the giant shadows flying above his head until the undeniable boom that signals a ship being blown to smithereens knocks him straight of his musings. 

It takes an embarrassing long second to process what he’s looking at. Summoning contracts are actually quite rare, and are only for the strongest willed shinobi. 

And dragons? Apparently very good at destroying ships, along with transporting numerous amounts of shinobi. 

The silver glint shining off the Konoha headbands reflects in his eyes like a taunt. The leaf symbol proudly making a mockery of his very goals to help. 

 

“Wow” Madara pants breathlessly 

A particularly normal, if hot day has turned around really quick. He spent the morning avoiding elders, being ignored in turn by his kinsman, and finally edging on Tobirama some. Then he almost got run over by Mito, Hashirama’s Witch from Hell, who proceeded to yell at them to either suit up or get out of her way. 

Tobriama and Madara hadn’t even known what it was for, but they, and every shinobi watching probably set a record time for how fast they got into their armor and weapons. By the time the reconvened, Mito and Hashirama were ready to go and then the Witch summoned  _dragons._ Madara didn’t even know there was dragons still alive much less ones willing to make a summoning contract. 

And now here they are, killing Kiri nin in Uzushio. 

He and Hashirama might be having a little too much fun tag teaming them, if Tobirama has to keep flashing to their sides to pull/smack them out of the way of possible life ending injuries. 

Well, life ending for Madara. Hospital inducing for Hashirama  ~~the damn lizard.~~  

Speaking of, Madara pauses in his effort to beat the shit out of some poor blue bastard, to watch Hashirama turn an entire wing of soldiers just breaching the shore into mangrove trees. Just as he finishes, Mito steps in between him and a couple of—

Sell-swords? Huh. They usually avoid this sort of thing. 

Then she activates glowing chains that Madara has vaguely heard about and proceeds to rip them to pieces. Not even a second of hesitation later has her flashing through series of signs and slamming her hand to the beach. 

All at once the villages defenses light up, and the barrier comes back to life, shredding any ships in its path and blocking any more from entering. The fog that seemed to have been brought over from Kiri, clears in a second 

It gives Mito’s dragons a perfect line of sight to start bombing the boats still inside to pieces. 

The cheering from the islanders motivates every Konoha shinobi still standing and Madara will deny to his dying day that watching Hashirama and Mito smirk at each other and then spilt directions did anything but make his gut tingle. 

Nope- not at all. He should probably go kill some more people. 

“Duck!” 

Madara occasionally still watches Kagami, who’s really still learning to throw kunai accurately, so when he hears a familiar voice yell, he hits the ground. 

A quick glance up shows a body flying over him, with Tobirama quickly in pursuit. 

He gets up and follows, quickly putting aside how he feels about Hashirama and Mito covered in blood, and watches Tobirama cut down the shinobi. 

Hashirama is nearby, so he goes to turn away to a different stretch of beach, only just slow enough to see a masked shinobi dart out of some Mangroves and aim for Hashirama’s back. 

The fool is too busy turning toward Tobirama to notice. 

Madara readies his gunbai in preparation to send a large gush of wind to knock both Hashirama and the Shinobi away from each other but Tobirama beats him to it. 

They clash swords and for a stunning moment absolutely nobody breathes. 

Tobirama is wide eyed and suddenly far much paler than before. It only takes one familiar pattern for Madara’s Sharingan to overlay the image of Izuna and Tobirama doing the same thing countless times before. 

Tobirama shakes himself out of his stupor just in time to block another vicious strike from the masked shinobi. A series of kunai to sword exchanges has them bounding away to catch his breath. Except the shinobi apparently doesn’t need it, immediately lunching forward again. 

Tobirama’s lungs burn as he blocks strike after strike. He can sense Hashirama off to the side waiting for a moment to aid him and he can only wonder if he sees the familiar exchanges too. The chakra is unmistakably Izuna’s, which should be impossible, but the way Madara is standing shell shocked on the roof tells him he’s not wrong. There’s no way and yet, as much as he doesn’t want Madara watch him kill this man who feels so much like Izuna  ~~again~~ , he’s definitely going to die if he doesn’t. 

He knows what brought down Izuna the first time so Tobirama sticks to that. 

He leaps back and fires a cluster of kunai, with a single tagged one and holds his breath. 

A leap

The flash of Hirashin 

And his blade connects. 

He stumbles out to Hashirama grabbing him and whipping him back around. 

The masked shinobi falls like Izuna did that day. Tobirama has no idea if he’s coughing up blood too with the ringing in his ears and because of the way their face is still covered. 

Tobirama can feel the chill down his spine as him, Madara, and Hashirama watch the wound reform from where Tobirama’s blade stuck true. 

“Oh shit” he thinks breathlessly, ignoring the tightening of Hashirama’s hand on his arm. 

Madara’s head slowly turns toward the Senju brothers. 

Hashirama really regrets the day he didn’t stop Tobirama from sneaking off to the grave yard, his own morbid curiosity and loss of his brother guilt him into ignoring it. 

Thankfully, like a blood covered, red headed angel, Mito rounds the corner, chains flying and Trident shining in the setting sun. 

She takes one look at their faces, Madara’s desperation and confusion, Tobirama’s oh-fuck-this-And-everything-else, and finally Hashirama’s I-really-want-to-be-done expression and then decides that whoever the masked covered, hood wearing shinobi their standing around can be a problem for later. 

A quick shunshin, a paralysis seal and the man-- well she thinks it’s a man anyways-- drops like a sack of potatoes. Mito quickly opens a pocket in the ground and drops him in for later. They need at least some prisoners of war she supposes. 

Straightening back up to tell them all to snap out of it has her nearly falling over on her ass. Uchiha Madara is standing right in front of her with a chilling look on his face although for no reason can she fathom why. 

“Open it” 

“Excuse me?” 

“I said open it, Uzumaki.” 

The hand on his gunbai tightens and Mito can’t help but straighten up and point her trident right in his shadowed face. 

“No, whatever beef you got with shinobi can wait. He’s wrapped in chains and paralyzed; he’s not going anywhere but there’s still hundreds of shinobi on this island that do not belong here and by coming with you promised to get rid of them. If you can’t handle that then I’ll be more than happy to stick your ass in the ground too.” 

Under her rage, Madara backs up a step, either shocked into silence or truly coming up with a scathing reply, she never got the chance to find out. 

A new wave of Kiri nin, probably the ones that had to abandon ship coming running ashore and she darts around him to intercept. She doesn’t have time for whatever crisis the boys are having behind her, she just hopes they get their shit together soon enough to make themselves useful. 

Sure enough she sees the tell-tale sign of Mangrove roots unnaturally writhing. Not only that, but more of her fellow islanders are joining them on the beach. They must be the last front as Kiri nin start diving into the water, away from them. 

By the time the sun sets, the waves crash down on their victory as her father, apparently conscious again declares Kirigakures defeat and to round up any last stragglers. 

The cheering is all the motivation she needs before moving back further on shore. Uchiha are lighting up torches and seals come to life as final sweeps are organized and made. She waits for the parties to set out as her, Hashirama, Tobirama, Hikaku, and her father reconvene by the sealed shinobi. 

Madara shows significant patience as she pulls the masked ninja up and out of the hole she stuck him in. 

Quickly pulling off the hood and mask has her pausing. 

The masked man looks— 

Well he—

He looks dead. Grey features, black sclera’s, and cracks that seems to run over everything, as if he’s made of paper. 

More pressingly is that the man, at least in life, was most assuredly an Uchiha. 

Madara drops to his knees besides Mito. His last little brother sits blankly in front of him and he can’t help but raise his hands to cup his face. There’s no recognition on Izuna’s face and Madara had hoped—prayed he’d been wrong when he felt the oh so familiar chakra. 

“Little brother” he whispers, “Izuna?” He doesn’t even know if he wants a reaction or not. This thing looks so much like him, but the cracked facade screams dead as much as his side simply regenerating. 

Caught in his moment as he is, he misses he look Hashirama and Tobirama share. They quietly whisper and Tobirama acquires some paper and ink from Ashina before walking up to Madara, Izuna, and Mito, and slaps another seal on him. 

Madara doesn’t even get the time to question what the fuck he did before life comes back into Izuna’s eyes and he makes direct eye contact with Madara. 

“SAGE that took you all forever—-I swear I will gut that motherfucker and—- ” 

Izuna pauses taking in his brother’s features. The silence is as awkward as the collective sigh of relief from just about everyone else. 

“Aniki? Are you okay? Are you going to cry all over me? Please let the Uzuamki Princess unseal me first if that’s the case.” 

Madara ignores him, bringing his brother into a death grip of a hug. If he’s crying, everybody politely turns their head away as Mito unseals Izuna and the brothers take a moment to themselves. 

“Izuna, listen, I’m so sorry.” 

“Aniki, I love you but there’s something really important you gotta know about this dude—“

“No Izuna really—” 

“Yeah! I really need to tell you—“ 

“Izuna listen! I need to tell you that—“

“You built Konoha? That dream village you talked about when you were 12 and still technically committing treason with tree man over there? Or that you brought peace to fire country and then proceeded to change the status qou for shinobi everywhere? Cause I know that but listen, Madara, the fucker that brought me back to life has some mad ideas—“

“What.” Madara says flatly, interrupting his brother again. 

Izuna can’t help but let out a sigh, this is important dammit, he can’t deal with Madara’s selective hearing right now. 

“I said—“ 

“You know about Konoha” Madara says, wonder or fear in his voice, Izuna is too frustrated to distinguish the difference. 

“Yes, brother, but that’s not actually the problem because there’s this fucker from the future with some seriously fucked up ideals and he’s kinda got-” 

Madara tries to listen as Izuna starts over his story but between the blood pumping in his ears, he’s sure he misses the whole thing. 

 

Danzo listens on the far cliff as Izuna dutifully rehashes the conversation they had on the shore of Fire. He tries the master seal one more time and finally just burns the thing with a small Katon after another fail. It seems whatever seal Tobirama used to break the control, also broke Danzo’s ability to send Izuna back to the pure land. 

Danzo mutters a couple of profanities because how like his sensei to have a contingency plan for everything. He watches the little group another moment before deciding he doesn’t stand a chance to go down there, or even any closer for that matter. 

He turns his back on them, making his way to get off the island and towards fire again. Just because he’s lost this battle, doesn’t mean he must be idle. There’s many of things he can start in the meantime with no one the wiser. 

Too caught up in his planning means Danzo misses the eyes drilling into his metaphorical back. The strongest sensor of fire watches the chakra signature move away, deeper into the cliff side and memorizes the signature. Danzo is none the wiser, but Tobirama never forgets as Izuna prattles to his brother in the background, his own brother standing firmly by his side. 

 

“What do you mean it was you who created a jutsu to revive the dead?!?!?” 

“It’s called Edo Tensei” 

“I don’t give two shits what it’s—“

“Madara! Don’t blame Tobirama I told him—“ 

“OH YOU KNEW” 

“Sages balls, Madara, I’m dead but you could probably still shatter my eardrums.“ 

“Listen Izuna, I’m glad to see you, but that’s unnatural!” 

“Excuse me, if we could argue about this later and prioritize the clean-up of Uzushio that would be appreciated.” 

“...”

“fine.” 

 

 

“Wow your taste is horrible Aniki” 

“Oh shut the hell up you brat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mito summons dragons. Izuna summons otters. Tobirama has snow leopards,,,,

**Author's Note:**

> \- kagami destroying uzu is from mirrorless' fics  
> \- Hoshigaki Kaito is made up bc when i wrote this i temporally forgot that they did (at least in the anime) name the first mizukage and show’d the third as his body guard even if they didn’t give him a name, but I didn’t feel like editing him out loll.  
> \- also in this chapter there's several places I could of chopped it to make it shorter as I’m sure you noticed so sorry for the awkward transitions I just didn’t feel like posting them separately so here have 5k all at once  
> \- OKAY BUT CONSIDER obito is a descendant of Izuna
> 
> \- its been storming lately so if you have any thoughts/comments/predictions let me know (but on another note the internet connection has been wack bc of the storms so Im sorry if It takes a hot sec to respond.)
> 
> -title and chapter title is panic at the disco


End file.
